Under // H.S.
1
I lean my head back against the seat and watch as the raindrops trickle down the glass. The radio plays quietly in the background when mother talks on the phone with one of her clients, but I can't bother to focus on the words coming out of her mouth. As she notices me glancing at her through the rearview mirror, she gives me an ecouraging smile and I flash her a half-hearted one back. I wasn't exactly stoked on moving from Florida to Connecticut, but I knew we couldn't stay there anymore.
"We're here," mother says as she tilts her head back to glimpse at me over her shoulder. Our car is parked to the driveway next to a cosy-looking detached house. Green vines are climbing up the red brick wall, scarlet tulips are embellishing the flower beds and a narrow gravel path leads to the white front door. All this was really happening. We were no longer in Florida and my best friend didn't live next door anymore. I was due to start my senior year in a different high school near here and I had to make new friends. And I certainly wasn't good at getting to know new people.
"Come on Ally, let's go check out the house," I wince at the sudden voice from my mother's direction and shift my attention to her. She is already getting out of the car, so I quickly follow her actions, gasping my seatbelt and opening the door to step into the grey weather.
We walk into the small vestibule and leave our shoes there, continuing to a much wider space. There's a kitchen on our left and a living room on our right and I fall in love with the big windows immediately. I can already imagine how much light they will let in on a sunny weather, or how beautiful the night sky will look with starts shining bright. My mother walks around explaining about where she will put all the furnitures, but yet again, I don't focus on her words.
"Do you want to see your new room?" She catches my attention and my eyes draw to her. I give her a rapid nod and she leads us to a corridor, which has open doors on both sides. The ones on the left reveal a bathroom with a tub and spacious bedroom. My mother lets me go in first and I can only admire the beautiful decoration in there. One of the wall is painted with pale beige color and rest of the walls are natural white. A huge window opens a view to the front yard and I can already imagine sitting in my armchair on Saturday, reading my favourite book and watching as the sun exposes the morning dew.
I'm so focused on looking around in my new room that I hadn't noticed my mom leaving it. I go back to the living room to look for her, but I only find a few movers carrying our dining table and chairs to the kitchen. I'm about to turn around on my heels and go check the other bedroom, but then I hear a knock from the door. My eyes shot to the vestibule to find a tall, blond girl standing there. I stare at her appearance with a slight surprise, because she has tattoos on her arms, strong, black eye make-up and a dangerously short dress.
"Who are you?" I hear my mother's censorious voice from behind me. I glimpse at her, but bring my attention quickly back to the girl, who is rather a woman. She must be at least 20 years old.
"I live across the road and I just thought I'd welcome our new residents to the neighborhood," she gives us a smile and I politely give her one back.
"Thank you," I decide to open my mouth and earn a singular look from my mother.
"Well, I hope you enjoy it in here," she says when me and my mother both stay silent, before she turns her back at us and walks away. I shift my eyes to my mother who is standing beside me and she shakes her head, but then goes back to instructing the movers.
A few hours later, all of our furnitures are finally in their own places and I can just go to my room and relax for the rest of the night. I set a picture of our whole family in silvery frames to my nightstand, then put on the lamp and collapse onto my bed to read my favourite book, Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I had read it a thousand times before, but I never got bored of it.
After about ten pages, I hear a lout engine noise across the road. My curiosity takes over as the book drops from my hands to the blanket and i get up, taking a few steps to the window. I push the white curtains aside and peek at the house opposite of ours.
A boy with messy, dark locks and a worn leather jacket is sitting on top of a motorbike, which is parked to the driveway. The same girl that stopped by at our house runs down to the boy in her high-heeled boots and hops on the vehicle, wrapping her arms around his torso. As the boy suddenly tilts his head to my direction, I inhale dramatically and take a step to my right, wishing he had not seen me spying on them. But when I finally dare to look outside again, the motorbike has already disappeared to the darkness.
Notes
Read the rest of the story here: Wattpad- Under
